A Guest's Offering

Tomorrow is Oscar night, and every year that means a party at my friend Jill's house complete with ballots and prizes for those that guess the most correct winners. While I contemplate which character I am going to dress as this year, I am also thinking about what dish I want to bring with me. I have found that when deciding what to bring to a party, the key questions to consider are 1) Is it something I want to eat? 2) Can it sit around for a while and still be appealing? 3) Is it something that is fairly likeable? and 4) Is it easy to make? Since my dish is the only one I can control, I should make sure it is something I will be happy eating it. With a long night ahead and a libation-enhanced appetite, my dish also has to be tasty after sitting out for a while. Cold foods are great for this purpose, because they don't congeal or need to be reheated. While my own appetite is a consideration, I also want others to want my dish. It feels good when people look at the plate of food you have set on the table and say, "Yum. Who made that?" as they take a big spoonful. Lastly, because hosting is hard work, being a guest should be easy. There's no need to overdo it. This is your hosts time to shine, so be glad to bow out gracefully this round, and enjoy every minute of it.

Hungry

My stomach growls at obvious times: when too much time has passed since a meal, late night after a fun evening on the town, after a tough workout, and when I am watching the food network. The difference is that while I can satisfy my hunger from the first three, during the latter, my hunger is insatiable. Watching creamy batters being stirred, big bites of luscious food being taken, and eyes rolling in delight, make me want to cook something up for myself. I suppose I could simply not watch the shows, but that wouldn't be much fun. The challenge is that I usually turn on the TV at the end of a day, when the last thing I actually feel like doing is cooking. A dilemma indeed. Am I the only one in this quandry? Write and let us know.

Who Deserves a Treat?

What makes you eligible for a treat? Is it good behavior, following the rules all day, or doing chores? Perhaps it is being kind to others, facing fears, or trying something new? The reasons for us to treat ourselves are limitless. The real question is, do we need a reason? Is waking up and going about the day enough to warrant a small reward? We treat our pets when they are responsive and praise children when they are well behaved, but what about ourselves? By definition, a treat would not be a treat if it happened all the time, and yet we all work hard every day and need to take time to acknowledge what we accomplish. How you decide to give a positive nod to the little successes in your life is up to you. Just don't forget that everyone deserves a treat now and then.